# The Painter (2024 film)
**The Painter** is a 2024 American action thriller directed by Kimani Ray Smith, written by Brian Buccellato, and starring Charlie Weber, Madison Bailey, and [Jon Voight](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-voight). It follows Peter Barrett, an ex-CIA operative who has become a painter, as he is drawn back into danger when a woman from his past resurfaces and both become targets of a relentless killer and a rogue black ops program.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) The film opened in limited United States theaters on January 5, 2024, through Republic Pictures, and reached digital platforms on January 9, 2024.[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / writer | Kimani Ray Smith; screenplay by Brian Buccellato, a comic book writer known for DC Comics work[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) • [3](https://www.kimaniraysmith.com/current-news) |
| Cast | Charlie Weber as Peter Barrett, Jon Voight as Byrne, Madison Bailey as Sophia, Marie Avgeropoulos as Natalie Piasecki, Max Montesi as Ghost[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) |
| Release | Limited theatrical release January 5, 2024 (Republic Pictures); digital and video release January 9, 2024 (Paramount Home Video)[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29) |
| Production | SP Media Group; producer Steven Paul; distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) |
| Filming | British Columbia, Canada, from November 28 to December 20, 2022[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30253266/locations/) |
| Rating and runtime | Rated R for violence throughout, language, and brief sexuality; runtime reported as 100 minutes by some listings and 120 minutes by Paramount and The Numbers[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) |
| Reception | 0% Tomatometer from 10 critics' reviews and 36% Popcornmeter from more than 100 audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and production
The story centers on Peter, an ex-CIA operative living as an artist, who encounters an enigmatic young woman from his past. The two become targets of a ruthless assassin and a paramilitary black ops force, forcing Peter to use the training he had abandoned.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) The Numbers classifies the film as a survival thriller from an original screenplay.[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29)
**Origins.** Director Kimani Ray Smith described the project as the idea of executive producer Steven Paul, who asked Smith, then working as a stunt coordinator on one of Paul's projects, to direct. The film spent about a year in development before production.[5](https://www.digitaljournal.com/article/director-kimani-ray-smith-talks-about-his-new-film-the-painter/) [Principal photography](https://www.edgepedia.org/principal-photography) took place in [British Columbia](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-columbia), including Vancouver, Maple Ridge, and Mission (where Rocko's Diner served as a location), between November 28 and December 20, 2022.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30253266/locations/)
**Distribution.** Republic Pictures, the [Paramount Global](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-global) acquisitions label revived in 2023, acquired the film from SP Media Group for worldwide distribution by Paramount Global Content Distribution, setting the January 5, 2024 theatrical date.[3](https://www.kimaniraysmith.com/current-news) The film arrived in limited theaters the same day as *The Bricklayer*, another modestly scaled thriller about an ex-CIA operative.[6](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64382323/) The Numbers lists no domestic box office gross for the release.[2](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29)
## Reception
Critical response was strongly negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 0% Tomatometer from 10 reviews and a 36% Popcornmeter from more than 100 audience ratings.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) Dennis Harvey's review in *Variety* called it a rote shoot-'em-up whose revelations amount to contrived verbal explication, and noted the film's decent pacing and adequate technical polish but little credibility or suspense.[6](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64382323/) Other critics were harsher: Carla Hay of Culture Mix criticized the acting and Jon Voight's disguises, I.J. Wheaton of CBR scored it 2/10, and Robert Kojder of Flickering Myth gave it 1.5/5, writing that the film does not know what to do with its central action concept of visually and hearing impaired characters using those traits in combat.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023) A more favorable take from Loud And Clear Reviews called it a tense crime thriller with good performances from Weber and Bailey, weakened by expositional dialogue and overused spy tropes.[7](https://loudandclearreviews.com/the-painter-film-review/)
The film's ending sets up a sequel; Q.V. Hough of Vague Visages wrote that a second installment might be more creatively ambitious even if the first does not feel to have earned it.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023)
## Other films of the same name
The 2024 title is distinct from several other projects called *The Painter*: a 19-minute drama short directed by Jahanshah Vafaeisefat starring [Raymond J. Barry](https://www.edgepedia.org/raymond-j-barry) as a former boxer, released July 22, 2024;[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31390886/) a short about an aging artist painting his childhood beach house, released August 28, 2024;[9](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30223139/) and a pre-production thriller in which an FBI agent and an SFPD detective hunt a serial killer who paints his victims, written by Roger Buehler.[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11753922/)
## References
1. [The Painter, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_painter_2023)
2. [The Painter (2024), Box Office and Financial Information, The Numbers](https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Painter-The-%282024%29)
3. [Current News, Kimani Ray Smith official site](https://www.kimaniraysmith.com/current-news)
4. [The Painter (2024), Filming & Production, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30253266/locations/)
5. [Director Kimani Ray Smith talks about his new film 'The Painter', Digital Journal](https://www.digitaljournal.com/article/director-kimani-ray-smith-talks-about-his-new-film-the-painter/)
6. ['The Painter' Review: By-Numbers Action With Charlie Weber and Jon Voight, Variety via IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/news/ni64382323/)
7. [The Painter Film Review: Tense Crime Thriller, Loud And Clear Reviews](https://loudandclearreviews.com/the-painter-film-review/)
8. [The Painter (Short 2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31390886/)
9. [The Painter (Short 2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30223139/)
10. [The Painter, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11753922/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Action and adventure films (individual works) › Action thrillers, 2020s › Crime, assassin, and vigilante thrillers › Titles M to Y*
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